Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Berlin attack suspect Anis Amri 'recorded video pledging allegiance to Isis'

Adam Withnall
Friday 23 December 2016 14:54 GMT
Comments
Berlin attack suspect Anis Amri appears in a video released by Isis following his death
Berlin attack suspect Anis Amri appears in a video released by Isis following his death

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The Berlin Christmas market attack suspect recorded a video message pledging allegiance to Isis and vowing to take revenge on European "crusaders" for bombing Muslims, according to footage released by the Isis-affiliated Amaq agency.

Moments earlier Amaq named Anis Amri, a 24-year-old Tunisian man who was wanted in relation to the attack, as being responsible for the killings in Isis's name.

Amri was shot dead by Italian police who confronted him in Milan at around 3am on Friday morning. Officials said fingerprints from the body matched those found on the wheel and door of the lorry used to ram market-goers in Berlin, killing 12 and injuring many more.

In the video, a man claimed to be Amri says: "My message to crusaders bombing Muslims everyday... Their blood will not go in vain. We are a nation behind them and will take revenge for them.

"I call on my Muslim brothers everywhere... Those in Europe, kill the crusader pigs, each person to their own ability."

An Italian police chief said his men had no idea they might be dealing with Amri when they approached him outside a station in Sesto San Giovanni, a suburb of the northern city of Milan.

Antonio De Iesu told reporters that Amri had arrived in Milan's main railway station from France at around 1 a.m. and had then travelled to Sesto San Giovanni, where two young policemen approached him because he looked suspicious.

"We had no intelligence that he could be in Milan," De Iesu said. "They had no perception that it could be him otherwise they would have been much more cautious."

He failed to produce any identification so the police requested he empty his pockets and his small backpack. He pulled a loaded gun from his bag and shot at one of the men, lightly wounding him in the shoulder.

Amri then hid behind a nearby car but the other police officer managed to shoot him once or twice, killing him on the spot. Amri was identified by his finger prints.

De Iesu said that besides the gun, Amri had been carrying a small pocket knife. He also had a few hundred euros on him but no cell phone. Amri once spent four years in jail in Italy and police were trying to work out if he knew someone in Sesto.

Additional reporting by agencies

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in